It is well known that a montage image is composed with the use of electronic images. For instance, Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 8-293038 laid open on Nov. 5, 1996, discloses a prior art system (first prior art). In this prior art, the orientation of the montage is considered in generating a montage image by face image composition with the selection of partial face patterns.
Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2000-92306 laid open on Mar. 31, 2000, discloses another prior art system (second prior art). In this prior art, when two images having overlapping areas around a boundary between them are composed, as if they were joined together, in the boundary area to produce one image, an average value for image data on the overlapping areas is calculated and utilized to make a difference in color between the two images in the boundary area less visible, resulting in a natural composite image.
However, the first prior art could not provide an image composing apparatus that gives the enjoyment of taking a photograph. Also in the first prior art, since the production of a montage image has a limited selection of previously prepared face image parts, it is not possible to enjoy freer, more interesting image composition.
Meanwhile, in the second prior art, when one object is photographed in two images and they are joined together to obtain one complete picture of the object, in order to make the boundary line less visible in combining the overlapping areas, it is necessary to calculate an average value in the histogram of pixel data, further calculate an offset value based on a deviation from the average value, and add the offset value to pixel data on the overlapping images. Thus, this complicates and slows down the operation process, and does not suit situations where photographing peoples' faces can be freely enjoyed.
Therefore, it is feature of illustrative embodiments to provide a novel photographed image composing apparatus and a storage medium storing a photographed image composing program.
It is another feature of the illustrative embodiments to provide a photographed image composing apparatus and storage medium storing a photographed image composing program which make it possible to easily produce a montage image by casually, repeatedly photographing peoples' faces.
It is still another feature of the illustrative embodiments to provide a photographed image composing apparatus and a storage medium storing a photographed image composing program which, in composing a montage image from a plurality of partial images, allow boundary lines between the images to be made less visible through fast and simple processing.
A photographed image composing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment is a photographed image composing apparatus for photographing a face in at least two different partial images and generating a montage image of the face from at least two photographed partial images. This photographed image composing apparatus comprises an imaging means, an image display means, an imaging guide displaying means, an operation means, a first image storing means, a second image storing means, a mixing ratio storage means, an image mixing means, and a montage image generating/displaying means. The imaging means photographs an object electronically. The image display means displays the object photographed by the imaging means. The imaging guide displaying means displays an imaging guide indicating the position of a predetermined region of the face on the image display means. The operation means inputs an input operation in accordance with an operation by an operator. The first image storing means, in response to the operation input from the operation means, stores image data from the imaging means that shows one of the partial images of the face, as a first image. The second image storing means, in response to the operation input from the operation means, stores image data from the imaging means that shows the other one of the partial images of the face adjacent to the first image, as a second image. The mixing ratio storage means stores the mixing ratios of pixel data of the first image and the second image, in accordance with the distance from a boundary line between the two partial images. The image mixing means mixes the first image and the second image based on the mixing ratios. The montage image generating/displaying means generates the montage image from the first image and the second image mixed by the image mixing means, and displays the montage image on the image display means.
More specifically, the photographed image composing apparatus photographs a face in at least two different partial images, and produces a montage image of the face from at least two photographed partial images. An object is electronically photographed by the imaging means (30), and the objects (90, 92) photographed by the imaging means are displayed on the image display means (18). Also the imaging guide display means (32, 62b, S1) displays the imaging guides (82a, 82b, 82c) indicating the positions of predetermined regions of the face on the image display means. By aligning the predetermined regions of a face with the imaging guides, it is possible to easily photograph partial images best suited to generating a montage image of the face. The operation means (20) inputs an operation input in accordance with an operation by an operator, and the operator takes a photograph by appropriately operating the operation means, for example, by performing a shutter operation. The first image storing means (32, 62c, 68a, S9, S11) stores image data from the imaging means that shows one of partial images of the face (84) as first image data, in response to the operation input from the operation means. The second image storing means (32, 62c, 68b, S9, S11) stores image data from the imaging means that shows the other one of partial images of the face (86) adjacent to the first image, in response to the operation input from the operation means. By these first and second image storing means, partial images to form a montage image are successively photographed and image data of these partial images are obtained. If there is a difference in color between the photographed partial images, the boundary line between the images becomes prominent. Thus, after photograph shooting, processing of the boundary line is performed. The mixing ratio storage means (76) stores the mixing ratios of pixel data of the first image and the second image depending on the distance from the boundary line (88) between the two partial images. Based on the mixing ratios stored in the mixing ratio storage means, the image mixing means (32, 62e, S21, S43, S45) mixes the first image and the second image. With this mixture, according to the distance from the boundary line, the first and second images are changed so as to reduce a color difference between them, resulting in the less visible boundary line. Furthermore, the montage image generating/displaying means (32, 62f, S23) generates a montage image from the first and second images mixed by the image mixing means, and displays the montage image on the image display means. Consequently, according to this photographed image composing apparatus, it is possible to take pleasure in photograph shooting and also enjoy freer and more interesting montage image composition. By just photographing partial images in a successive way, an operator can easily compose a montage image with less visible boundary line from the photographed images.
In a certain embodiment, the mixing ratio storage means stores mixing ratios determined in such a manner that pixel data of the first image and the second image closest to the boundary line are mixed with the largest amounts of pixel data of the second image and the first image, respectively, and that, as the distance from the boundary line on the first image and the second image increases, pixel data of the first image and the second image are mixed with gradually decreased amounts of pixel data of the second image and the first image, respectively.
More specifically, the mixing ratio storage means) stores predetermined mixing ratio data in advance. Based on the mixing ratios, the image mixing means mixes the first and second image data closest to the boundary line with the largest amounts of the second and first image data, respectively, and, as the distance from the boundary line on the first and second images increases, the image mixing means mixes pixel data of the first and second images with gradually decreased amounts of pixel data of the second and first images, respectively. Therefore, it is possible to bring pixels closest to the boundary line under much influence from the opposite-side partial image, and to change the image data in such a manner that the influence of the opposite-side image gradually decreases with distance from the boundary line, thereby reducing a color difference between the partial images. These mixing ratios are previously stored, so that it is possible to perform the mixing by relatively easy processing and make the boundary line less visible.
In a certain aspect, the photographed image composing apparatus further comprises a first basic pixel data storing means for storing pixel data on the first image along and adjacent to the boundary line as first basic pixel data, and a second basic pixel data storing means for storing pixel data on the second image along and adjacent to the boundary line as second basic pixel data. The image mixing means, based on the mixing ratios, mixes pixel data of the first image and the second image with the second basic pixel data and the first basic pixel data in a pixel row perpendicular to the boundary line that corresponds to the relevant pixel, respectively.
More specifically, pixel data of the opposite partial image to be used for image mixture is extracted and stored. That is, the first basic pixel data storing means (32, 62d, 72a, 74a, S35) stores the first image's pixel data along and adjacent to the boundary line as first basic pixel data. The second basic pixel data storing means (32, 62d, 72b, 74b, S35) stores pixel data of the second image along and adjacent to the boundary line as second basic pixel data. The image mixing means, based on the mixing ratios, mixes pixel data of the first and second images with the second basic pixel data and the first basic pixel data, respectively. This mixing uses basic pixel data in a pixel row perpendicular to the boundary line that corresponds to a pixel to be processed. In this way, since each of the relevant pixels comes under only the influence of this one basic pixel, it is possible to make the boundary line less visible through simple mixture processing.
A storage medium storing a photographed image composing program according to an illustrative embodiment, is a storage medium storing a photographed image composing program for photographing a face in at least two different partial images and generating a montage image from at least two photographed partial images in a photographed image composing apparatus that comprises at least an imaging means for electronically photographing an object, an image display means for displaying the object photographed by the imaging means, and an operation means for inputting an operation input in accordance with an operation by an operator. The photographed image composing program stored in this storage medium causes a processor of the photographed image composing apparatus to execute an imaging guide displaying step, a first image storing step, a second image storing step, an image mixing step, and a montage image generating/displaying step. The imaging guide displaying step displays an imaging guide indicating a position of a predetermined region of the face on the image display means. The first image storing step stores image data from the imaging means that shows one of the partial images of the face, as a first image, in response to the operation input from the operation means. The second image storing step stores image data from the imaging means that shows the other one of the partial images of the face adjacent to the first image, as a second image, in response to the operation input from the operation means. The image mixing step mixes the first image and the second images, based on mixing ratios of pixel data of the first image and the second image in accordance with the distance from the boundary line between the two partial images. The montage image generating/displaying step generates a montage image from the first image and the second image mixed in the image mixing step, and displays the montage image on the image display means. As well as the above mentioned photographed image composing apparatus, this storage medium storing the photographed image composing program is capable of easily composing a montage image with a less visible boundary line on the spot from partial images photographed in a successive way.
In a certain aspect, the photographed image composing apparatus further comprises a mixing ratio storage means for storing mixing ratios determined in such a manner that pixel data of the first image and the second image closest to the boundary line are mixed with the largest amounts of pixel data of the second image and the first image, respectively, and that, as the distance from the boundary line on the first image and second image increases, pixel data of the first image and the second image are mixed with gradually decreased amounts of pixel data of the second image and the first image, respectively. The image mixing step mixes the first image and the second image based on the mixing ratios stored in the mixing ratio storage means. As well as the above mentioned photographed image composing apparatus, the storage medium storing the photographed image composing program is capable of making the boundary line less visible through relatively low-load processing by the processor.
In another aspect, the photographed image composing program stored in the storage medium further includes a first basic pixel data storing step of storing pixel data on the first image along and adjacent to the boundary line as first basic pixel data, and a second basic pixel storing step of storing pixel data on the second image along and adjacent to the boundary line as second basic pixel data. The image mixing step mixes pixel data of the first image and the second image with the second basic pixel data and the first basic pixel data in a pixel row perpendicular to the boundary line that corresponds to the relevant pixel, respectively, based on said mixing ratios. As well as the above mentioned photographed image composing apparatus, the storage medium storing the photographed image composing program is capable of making the boundary line less visible through simple processing.
According to the illustrative embodiments, it is possible to offer the pleasure of photograph shooting and also enjoy freer, more interesting montage image composition. By photographing partial images in a successive way, an operator can instantly compose a montage image with a less visible boundary line from the photographed images in a simple way. Therefore, the operator can casually enjoy producing a montage image.
In addition, if mixing ratios of two images are stored in advance, it is possible to mix the images and make the boundary line between them less visible through simple processing without the need to calculate the mixing ratios again later.
Furthermore, if pixel data adjacent to the boundary line is stored as basic pixel data used for mixing the images, one piece of the basic pixel data in a pixel row that corresponds to the relevant pixel is used in the mixing, which allows the boundary line to be less visible through simple processing.
The above described features, aspects and advantages of the illustrative embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.